View Full Version : Packing Strategy for JMT
I have a ULA Catalyst backpack and today I received my Bearikade canister. My packing strategy is as follows:
Within Main Backpack Body
1. Sleeping bag will go into a zPacks "large rectangular dry bag" (12.3 liter size) and will consume the available space at the very bottom of the pack.
2. Thermarest Prolite will be fully deflated, folded up sized to the back panel of the pack and placed directly against the back panel.
3. Bearikade will be placed vertically over the sleeping bag and centered within the backpack. The thermarest prolite will provide some additional padding to keep the Bearikade from pushing against my spine.
4. On each side of the Bearikade, I will place a zPacks "slim dry bag". One bag will be filled with clothing items. The other bag will contain my Jetboil stove, inner tent body of my Copper Spur UL1, first aid kit, and loose items.
5. On top of the Bearikade and slim dry bags will sit a zPacks "Large rectangular dry bag" with my remaining clothing items, journal, first aid kit, headlamp, rain gear, etc.
In Left Side Pocket
1. Tent poles and stakes for Copper Spur UL1.
2. Trowel, toilet paper, hand sanitizer
3. Camp/water shoes
In Right Side Pocket
1. Water container
In Front Mesh Pocket
1. Rainfly and ground sheet for Copper Spur UL1.
Does this sound about right?
I plan to carry a zPacks backpack cover plus I will have nearly everything that needs to stay dry in dry bags. I was thinking about also buying a zPacks pack liner dry bag but I'm somewhat concerned that the tight fit of the Bearikade could cause abrasion to the cuben fiber material over time (the canister is just a really tight fit).
Gear is starting to all come together. Thanks for any feedback!
wcgornto
02-27-2013, 23:47
Pretty much the same for me except I will have the zpacks pack liner. If it abrades, it abrades. I want the extra layer of protection for my down bag.
My tent is a lightheart solo cuben, so no tent poles etc. outside the pack. I carried a Copper Spur 1 on my AT thru hike. It is a great free standing tent, but I went from three pounds down to 20 ounces with the lightheart.
My tent is a lightheart solo cuben, so no tent poles etc. outside the pack. I carried a Copper Spur 1 on my AT thru hike. It is a great free standing tent, but I went from three pounds down to 20 ounces with the lightheart.
I like the bombproof aspect of the Copper Spur but it is quite heavy. I've been very tempted to swap it out for the Hexamid Solo or Solo Plus but I'm not sure that I'm skilled enough to pitch it properly under all circumstances (rocky soil, exposed areas, etc). But doing so would cut almost two pounds from my base weight.
I bought a SMD Wild Oasis (15 oz.) for the trip, but after several multi-day trips with lots of rain, I found it doesn't work for me, so I am using my Tarp Tent Contrail. The Contrail is listed at 24 oz. , but with the line outs and sack, for some reason it comes in at 30 oz. Go figure...
bigcranky
02-28-2013, 09:45
Hey, Rambling, that sounds like a good strategy. I use my Prolite the same way, folded in sixths and flat against the suspension panel. It seems to be the one place where it takes up the least room inside the pack, plus the added padding helps. I have several of the Zpacks sacks, and they are well made.
Have a good trip.
Hey, Rambling, that sounds like a good strategy. I use my Prolite the same way, folded in sixths and flat against the suspension panel.
I've been experimenting with the Prolite against the back panel idea. While it seems to cushion the impact of the canister, it does have the effect of pushing the canister into the front mesh pocket of the Catalyst reducing its usable space and it rubs up against the thinner material on the front panel. So I'm not so sure about that anymore but I have lots of time to experiment. I have to say that the bear can takes up much more volume than I expected and I'm glad I have the Catalyst rather than the Circuit.
bigcranky
02-28-2013, 14:03
Interesting. I have a Circuit, and have never used (nor needed ) a bear canister. This does give me food for thought if I end up hiking in California. Thanks for the insight.
You pack packing strategy looks good.
Some advice for the bear can. When you pack the bear can, layer it with all the food needed per day on each layer. That way you can easily get the food you need for the day without having to repack it everytime you want something. Get rid of all the bulky original packaging and use ziplocks with all the air sqeezed out as this will give you additional room. Carry the current days food in your pack and not the bear can, but don't leave your pack unattended at any time. It only takes a minute for a bear to grab it.
1Greywolf
06-18-2013, 09:22
I have a ULA Catalyst backpack and today I received my Bearikade canister. My packing strategy is as follows:
Within Main Backpack Body
1. Sleeping bag will go into a zPacks "large rectangular dry bag" (12.3 liter size) and will consume the available space at the very bottom of the pack.
2. Thermarest Prolite will be fully deflated, folded up sized to the back panel of the pack and placed directly against the back panel.
3. Bearikade will be placed vertically over the sleeping bag and centered within the backpack. The thermarest prolite will provide some additional padding to keep the Bearikade from pushing against my spine.
4. On each side of the Bearikade, I will place a zPacks "slim dry bag". One bag will be filled with clothing items. The other bag will contain my Jetboil stove, inner tent body of my Copper Spur UL1, first aid kit, and loose items.
5. On top of the Bearikade and slim dry bags will sit a zPacks "Large rectangular dry bag" with my remaining clothing items, journal, first aid kit, headlamp, rain gear, etc.
In Left Side Pocket
1. Tent poles and stakes for Copper Spur UL1.
2. Trowel, toilet paper, hand sanitizer
3. Camp/water shoes
In Right Side Pocket
1. Water container
In Front Mesh Pocket
1. Rainfly and ground sheet for Copper Spur UL1.
Does this sound about right?
I plan to carry a zPacks backpack cover plus I will have nearly everything that needs to stay dry in dry bags. I was thinking about also buying a zPacks pack liner dry bag but I'm somewhat concerned that the tight fit of the Bearikade could cause abrasion to the cuben fiber material over time (the canister is just a really tight fit).
Gear is starting to all come together. Thanks for any feedback!
Just saw this Thread. I also have a Catalyst and thinking of placing the Bearikade canister as the last item (on top) of all my stuff before folding an synching the strap of the ULA pack.
What do you all see as pros and cons?
Thanks.
Kerosene
06-18-2013, 09:59
I like the bombproof aspect of the Copper Spur but it is quite heavy. I've been very tempted to swap it out for the Hexamid Solo or Solo Plus but I'm not sure that I'm skilled enough to pitch it properly under all circumstances (rocky soil, exposed areas, etc). But doing so would cut almost two pounds from my base weight.Consider going with the Hexamid Twin instead of the Solo; you get a bunch more room with a minimal weight penalty. With the Cuben Fiber bathtub floor, I was able to eliminate the need for a bivy.
Consider going with the Hexamid Twin instead of the Solo; you get a bunch more room with a minimal weight penalty. With the Cuben Fiber bathtub floor, I was able to eliminate the need for a bivy.
I actually did switch to the Hexamid and opted for the Twin due to the very slight weight penalty over the Solo Plus (I'm too tall for the Solo). I've used the shelter for eight nights including a week-long trip to the Grand Canyon and I love it so far. I will say that I've yet to have it in any inclement weather conditions so far but I am getting more confident pitching it even when I can't get a stake into the ground (use rocks instead). For roughly 20 ounces, I don't think the weight of this shelter can be beat relative to the space and functionality provided. And it has proven very durable with no abrasion to the mesh floor which I found surprising.
I've also switched from the ULA Catalyst to the Circuit due to lower base weight associated with a lighter shelter and general reduction of items that I plan to carry.
I get to test my setup in mid July on the North Lake-South Lake loop which will be a test run for my full JMT hike in late August. One trip to SNP planned between now and the N.Lake-S.Lake trip.
Berserker
06-18-2013, 12:30
3. Bearikade will be placed vertically over the sleeping bag and centered within the backpack. The thermarest prolite will provide some additional padding to keep the Bearikade from pushing against my spine.
I'm curious, have you tried putting the bear can horizontally on top? I'm not sure if that will work with the Catalyst or not. I have a McHale, and my pack is designed for the can to go in this spot. It's a very convenient location because then you can get to your food easily. It also allows for easy removal of the can so that I can get to other things in my pack.
I'm curious, have you tried putting the bear can horizontally on top? I'm not sure if that will work with the Catalyst or not. I have a McHale, and my pack is designed for the can to go in this spot. It's a very convenient location because then you can get to your food easily. It also allows for easy removal of the can so that I can get to other things in my pack.
I have the Circuit now and the only realistic place to put the canister is vertically above my sleeping bag and it takes up lots of the volume of the pack. But it works out ok for me. I think that carrying on top of the pack could change the center of gravity quite a bit by making the pack top heavy plus the profile of the Circuit doesn't seem to lend itself to strapping the can on top. Maybe it would work in the catalyst.
Kerosene
06-18-2013, 12:44
I like the bombproof aspect of the Copper Spur but it is quite heavy. I've been very tempted to swap it out for the Hexamid Solo or Solo Plus but I'm not sure that I'm skilled enough to pitch it properly under all circumstances (rocky soil, exposed areas, etc). But doing so would cut almost two pounds from my base weight.Consider going with the Hexamid Twin instead of the Solo; you get a bunch more room with a minimal weight penalty. With the Cuben Fiber bathtub floor, I was able to eliminate the need for a bivy.
Berserker
06-19-2013, 09:59
I have the Circuit now and the only realistic place to put the canister is vertically above my sleeping bag and it takes up lots of the volume of the pack. But it works out ok for me. I think that carrying on top of the pack could change the center of gravity quite a bit by making the pack top heavy plus the profile of the Circuit doesn't seem to lend itself to strapping the can on top. Maybe it would work in the catalyst.
I'm confused. So you have a Circuit or a Catalyst? You state you have a Catalyst in multiple posts above, but then state you have a Circuit in the one I quoted.
If you have a Circuit than I can see your conundrum as I also have a Circuit and put my bear can in there one time just to see how it fit. It took up the better portion of the pack, and had to be put in there vertically as you have stated. I agree that also would not carry the bear can on the top outside of the pack.
I'm confused. So you have a Circuit or a Catalyst? You state you have a Catalyst in multiple posts above, but then state you have a Circuit in the one I quoted.
.
I purchased a Catalyst which I had when the thread started but switched to a circuit since then. This thread was started months ago and recently came back to life.
Lone_Star
06-26-2013, 19:09
The Bear Vault BV500 has grooves built into the container, so it could be strapped down on top/outside of the Circuit pack. That would free up a lot of room inside the pack. I'm just not sure how secure it would be? I'd hate for it to slip out and roll away! Also, I'm not sure where you would run the straps through (haul loop?) to secure it to the pack? Finally, it might bump up against the back of your head, especially if you bend over. Has anyone tried strapping one to the outside/top of their pack?
Hey RamblingHiker, how did your JMT hike go? I am planning a thru hike of the JMT next August and have a ULA Catalyst. What size Bearikade did you use? Outside of the tent discussion ( I'm committed to a BA Fly Creek ) anything you can share concerning packing or anything else. Just out of curiosity, what kind of water shoes did you use and did they remain packed in a side pocket?
The hike was great! I used the ULA circuit with a custom 12 inch Bearikade which was just barely enough for the MTR-Whitney segment. The pack carried very well with a typical 23-28 pounds total weight and was fine even at 33 pounds leaving MTR. My Hexamid Twin was great and very lightweight. I went without water shoes. The only wet crossing was Evolution creek. I crossed in my trail runners but removed socks and insole first. The shoes were mostly dry by evening.
Thanks for the response. I am debating between the 11" to 12" custom and the Weekender ( 10.5" ) Bearikade. I assume you were able to lay the Bearikade on it's side ( horizontal ) in the pack or did you pack it in vertically. Would you be interested in selling your Bearikade?
Thanks for the response. I am debating between the 11" to 12" custom and the Weekender ( 10.5" ) Bearikade. I assume you were able to lay the Bearikade on it's side ( horizontal ) in the pack or did you pack it in vertically. Would you be interested in selling your Bearikade?
It had to be packed vertically but I liked that configuration anyway. It worked out quite well. I'm definitely going to return to the Sierra Nevada at some point so I'm planning to keep it.
Cool, thanks for the reply.
verysimple
10-20-2013, 15:56
How would one hang bearikade off a tree? Does it need to be inside a bag or it has hooks for hanging or to attached to a bag?
Maui Rhino
10-20-2013, 16:02
You don't need to hang a bear can. The whole point is that bears can't open them. Set it out away from your campsite a little ways, and it should be fine.
verysimple
10-20-2013, 17:00
You don't need to hang a bear can. The whole point is that bears can't open them. Set it out away from your campsite a little ways, and it should be fine.
Thanks. What if bear decides to play kicker or soccer with it?
Water under/not under the bridge, but the JMT is a rather fair weather trail during typical JMT thru-hiker season with VERY much less chance of rain compared to say the AT. You were already dry sacking important gear like your sleeping bag and you had the pack cover. IMO, no further need for a pack liner for a JMT thru in your situation..
MuddyWaters
10-20-2013, 19:14
Thanks. What if bear decides to play kicker or soccer with it?
The idea about bear cans, is that once bears are accustomed to them in high use areas, they will not spend much time having already learned its a waste of time.
Keeping the bear from getting fed is more important than you keeping your food. Surround it by logs or rocks, or put it in a clump of bushes, etc can reduce its chance of rolling away. Or dont camp where it can roll away either.
I read on the yahoo JMT group about a bearcan carried by a bear half a mile once. The hiker found it the next day by the trail while hiking out because he had no food.
verysimple
10-20-2013, 19:18
Thanks.
To op - if lose a trowel and tp. Use pegs or sticks to dig up Catholes and natural materials to clean up
Thanks. What if bear decides to play kicker or soccer with it?
Never happened to me. In fact there was never any sign that the can was moved at all. I did place it in locations where it couldn't roll away if kicked (like near brush, between downed logs, etc). I'm sure the bears were out there although I never saw one. They are smart enough to know that messing with a canister is just a waste of time.
1Greywolf
10-21-2013, 09:28
Thanks. What if bear decides to play kicker or soccer with it?
American Bears do not know how to play soccer. If it's an Italian Bear, you would have a problem.
This July I used a Bearikade weekender it worked well and used it as a camp stool. WildIdeas offer 45% discount to JMT hikers.
I think you are over thinking this. When I get together with a bunch of hikers what we all talk about and recount are the things
that went wrong, did not work, and the unexpected. Rarely the excitement of the trip centers on how comfortable the boots felt or how drip free tent was, unless we are specifically asked.
It's very simple, just have fun. :D
verysimple
10-24-2013, 09:58
cool... 45% discount is for rentals only?
I plan on doing JMT 09/2014..
How would one hang bearikade off a tree?....
I'll repeat what has already been said because I do notice a few hikers still attempting to hang bear canisters. Bear canisters are not designed or advised to be hung. In some areas the Rangers or Wildlife Officers or in bear proofing brochures specifically mention NOT to hang a bear canister(despite what's pictured in Bear Boxers advertisements).
...What if a bear decides to play kicker or soccer with it?
Valid question. Muddy Waters and Rambling Hiker made good comments about that.
It's been nicely covered with the pretty good advice already given about how and where to place a bear canister for the night(although I personally wouldn't want to place it where a bear could gain leverage with it's powerful teeth(huge biting pressure of a bear) and claws or have it so stabilized that a very large bear like a Grizzly could start pouncing on it with all its wt) but a little note is that some of the bear canisters like the Garcia(substantial construction, durable, should last a life time of hiking, ridiculously heavy IMO though) and Bear Boxer(basically a Mini Garcia) are tapered on the ends to keep them from rolling in a straight line so they don't usually roll too far away should a determined bear start kicking or swatting it around. BTW, know that Bearikade bear canisters demand stratospheric prices and are not tapered on the ends(reminds me of something that was made in HS shop class by an enterprising student)
Here's one run down of the canisters commonly available.
http://calipidder.com/wp/2009/05/bear-canisters-the-pros-and-cons-of-different-designs/
If you're doing the entire JMT know you have the convenient option to rent a canister at VERY reasonable prices near the Happy Isles TH(JMT's northern terminus) at the Yosemite Valley Back Country Rangers's Office(you can also pick up your permit and get the latest beta on trail conditions here) and the Whitney Portal Parking Lot(basically the end of the trail for JMT SOBOers) Store(small store, does have snacks and some sandwiches and fried foods). You can pick up AND drop off a rented canister at both locatio0ns making it convenient for JMT thru-hikers. I think this service is run by the NP. Although I've never done it I'm fairly sure you can also rent a canister at Tuolomne Meadows(which is basically along your JMT route) picking up or dropping a canister off here as well. I'm not sure but if doing a JMT section hike ONE MAY be able to also do this at Reds Meadow but this I'm the least sure about.
MuddyWaters
10-24-2013, 22:00
cool... 45% discount is for rentals only?
I plan on doing JMT 09/2014..
Yep, rentals only. That makes their JMT rental for many hikers cheaper than buying a cheap one. Obviously it depends on how long you take. You are also only charged for hiking days, not shipping days, etc. They ship it to you a couple days before, and you have 5 days to get it back.
So a 3 wk hike, would be 21 days*6 $/day *(1-.45)= $70 + ~$15 return shipping. OUCH. A 2 week hike is better obviously, but still on par with buying a bear vault.
But the park service rents the Garcia for about $5 per week I think. Very hard to beat that. No shipping.
1Greywolf
10-25-2013, 10:28
"...BTW, know that Bearikade bear canisters demand stratospheric prices and are not tapered on the ends(reminds me of something that was made in HS shop class by an enterprising student)"
Dang you, Dogwood. Those are harsh words to describe a poor indefensible Bearikade. lol Seriously, it is a little expensive to buy; however, not bad if you rent it.
It worked out well on my hike. It was easy to open, three screws did the trick. Used it as a camp stool and held 4-5-days of food very easy.
The only negative, I could not play soccer with it. It hurt when I kicked it.:-?
In retrospect, no matter which one you choose to bring it will have some plusses and minuses. They all seem to perform the basic requirement, keep food away from bears.
Just saw this thread. i used the ula circuit on the Sierra High Route and put the bearikade weekender on top of my pack.25136
My pack weight for 7 days was around 35lbs including the bearikade with food. If I was to do it again, it would go vertically inside my pack on top of my sleeping bag.
Hey Dantoiz, thanks for the picture. Is that a Bearikade Expedition? Did you have any issues with it slipping? Would you do anything different ( secure it differently, a different size if money were not an issue, etc ). I appreciate your input.
I have posted a WTB in the appropriate section, but thought I might also see if anyone reading the JMT section might want to sell their Bearikade bear canister. I'm looking for any size from Weekender ( 10.5" ) to Expedition ( 14.5" ) and I'm actually looking for two. Will pay a fair price.
Jagger - We've been off for the past month so I've not checked back, sorry. That's the weekender on my pack. I had no problems with it slipping and the size is perfect. I can get 8 days worth of food in there if I repackaged all my meals and do not take anything that's not necessary. This was on the Sierra High Route so there was some climbing involved.
Thanks for the response. I'm still looking for a used Bearikade of almost any size. If I can't find one, I'll order a 12" as I think that's the biggest one that will easily fit in my ULA Catalyst pack with my other gear. I will stand it on end as the original op of this thread suggested.
colorado_rob
01-09-2014, 13:45
Yeah, those berikades are expensive, but they sure are sa-weeeeet. I really don't mind spending $$$ for good gear, and this is a prime example. When my wife and I did the JMT last year, I carried my standard REI plastic version, while my wife managed to borrow a Berikade from a friend. If we ever do another thru that need canisters, we won't hesitate one second to buy a berikade (assuming she can't borrow one again, of course). Heck, I might buy one anyway to save the 12 ounces and just have it for future hiking. In fact, the 27 ounce scout might be a fine purchase for all hikes in bear country (pretty much everywhere); eliminates the need to hang (I choose to never sleep with my food), displaces a few ounces of bag/cord there, making the net weight only maybe 23-24 ounces, not too bad for extreme food storage convenience and having a camp chair to boot. These canisters easily fit in my ULA OHM 2.0, upright, plenty of room left over for all other gear.
Anyway, to the OP, enjoy the JMT. The most beautiful stretch of trail in the USA, if not the world, IMHO. And I've been on a lot of trails. I plan to re-hike the JMT next summer myself.
I used the bearvault BV500 on my JMT hike and it fits vertical in my ULA CDT pack perfectly with all my gear. It was overkill really, I could have used a smaller container easily. The bearikade looks great, and light! Good luck finding one, and enjoy your hike!
I have a ULA P-2 and a bearikade and I like to put my bearikade vertically and pack my clothes around it. That way everything is accessible during the day including snacks if I want them!:)